How Healthy Is Your Water Bottle? *

Should you be uneasy about that refillable water bottle you’ve been using? Maybe. Health-news headlines are yelping about bisphenol A (BPA), a suddenly scary component of plastic that’s hiding in plain sight in polycarbonate water bottles, water pitchers, baby bottles — even liners in canned foods. What’s so bad about BPA is that animal studies have linked it with cancer, miscarriage, fertility, obesity, immunity, and sexual-development problems. But that doesn’t mean you have to toss half the contents of your kitchen into a toxic-waste dump. Here’s our advice on staying safe. And sane.

How to Recognize the Real Thing
Bisphenol A is found in clear, hard, shatterproof plastics. Often, the letters PC (for polycarbonate) and/or the number 7 will be stamped in the little recycling triangle on or near the bottom of the container. But not every plastic stamped with a 7 contains BPA; your biggest clue is to look for hard, see-through, unbreakable things. Disposable soft drink and water bottles and liquid-medicine containers (like cough syrup bottles) are not polycarbonate and do not contain BPA. So while everyone is having a fit about disposable bottles for environmental reasons — and rightly so — it’s only the rigid refillable kind you need to worry about for health reasons. Make it easy by remembering the numbers: Only drink from those with numbers 4 and 2 in their triangles, or if need be, 5 and 1. In our opinion, you should avoid any with 3, 6, or 7 (not just for BPA reasons).

How Risky Is It, Really?
Not everyone agrees, even though low levels are estimated to be in the bodies of 9 out of 10 Americans. The FDA, the plastics industry, and the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis have all concluded that BPA levels are probably too low to be hazardous for adults. But some prominent BPA researchers say harmful effects begin at levels lower than those the government says are safe.

What has people really freaking out is that babies and kids may be at higher risk, according to the U.S. National Toxicology Program. BPA acts like a hormone in the body, and studies suggest that at the levels young children may be exposed to, there could be a danger of early puberty, hyperactivity, immune-system changes, and low sperm counts. Moms-to-be can protect their kids even before they’re born by not getting any mercury or composite dental fillings during pregnancy (use gold). Many experts believe these materials release high concentrations of mercury and BPA during application.

What You Can Do Right Now
Even if you can’t dodge exposure to this ubiquitous plastic the way you can dodge a playground ball, you can minimize your contact.

Don’t heat anything that might have BPA in it. BPA is in plastics because it makes them lightweight, shatterproof, extremely clear, and heat resistant. But when these plastics are warmed up, BPA leaches out of them 55 times faster than it does at room temperature. Rates stay high even after the contents cool. So:

· No microwaving in hard, clear, plastic containers — use ceramic or glass.
· No heating cans of baked beans (or cans of anything) on the grill.
· No pouring hot tea into your polycarbonate water bottle.
· No preparing baby formula with hot water directly in a polycarbonate baby bottle.

Replace your clear, hard, refillable plastic containers. Our recommendations:
· Serve hot foods and drinks in glass or ceramic containers.
· Get babies BPA-free plastic bottles (safer than glass).
· Get older kids and yourself BPA-free plastic water bottles — more and more are in stores. We also like the stainless steel and aluminum bottles that are now available.

For now, buy mainly fresh or frozen food. Currently, as many as 80% of cans contain BPA. Some brands are BPA-free, which is good news if you don’t have time to make black beans from scratch tonight. But if cans aren’t labeled BPA-free, think twice. This is particularly true for the two types of canned foods that leach the most BPAs from their liners:

· Fatty foods, such as coconut milk, salmon, creamy soups, and tuna packed in oil
· Acidic foods, such as tomato products and some juices.

Go fresh whenever possible. But that’s our advice in general.

* Source: Real Age Inc.

Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake, disaster and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Will you have enough light in an Emergency?

After an earthquake or other  catastrophic event,  most stores will be closed. Running water and electricity may be unavailable. Your home may be unsafe to occupy. You need to be self-sufficient. Be prepared to care for yourself and your family.

Will  you have enough  supplies to provide light to last for 7 days?

In addition to battery powered flashlights and lanterns consider solar powered and dynamo hand cranked flashlights, radio’s with lights and shake lights to provide a never ending supply of light

At the Earthquake Supply Center all of our  kits include emergency food, water, shelter, sanitation, first aid, lighting, and communication supplies necessary for surviving after a major disaster.

Please contact us for a free evaluation of your emergency preparedness survival needs.

Preparedness is an act of love.

The time to prepare for a major disaster is now.

Michael Skyler

Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Food and Water-How much and what types

Earthquake Preparedness
How Much and What Types of Food and Water

Living in Earthquake Country requires a bit more attention to the possibilities of natural disasters than in other parts of the country.

Most people who take personal responsibility for their own and their family’s well being and get prepared usually get supplies and kits for their homes and cars.

How Much Food and Water?
If you’re someone who wants to be prepared for the major earthquake in our future, you’ve probably done something about having food and water available for you and your family. Here are a few things to keep in mind:
1. Some disaster preparedness groups recommend having 3 days worth of food and water (1 gallon per person per day). I agree with the ones that say be ready for at least a full week, 7 days (think Katrina).

2.Except for the “Get Ready” kit offered by The Earthquake Supply Center in San Rafael, which is a 2 person, 7 day kit, I’ve never seen an emergency kit that has enough water. You really need to supplement the kits with extra water.

3. The best plan for storing water is to use a food grade water storage container, sizes range from 2.5 gallons to 55 gallon water barrels with either a siphon or spigot, which you treat with 5 year water preserver so it will remain stable and last for up to 5 years.
Many people mistakenly believe that adding bleach to their stored water will keep it stable for 5 years. This is not true, in an emergency it will help purify your water for the short term so you can drink it but it will not stabilize water for long term storage. Remember bleach is not designed or approved for human consumption.
.
Another thing to consider is that the plastic used for water containers that is sold in supermarkets and other stores are not designed for long term storage and will start to leach into your water within the first six months.
You should replace your stored water every 6-7 months to avoid both leaching from plastic containers as well as bacterial build up.

4. Have plenty of long term foods on hand like 5 year food bars, MRE’s (5-10 year shelf life) and other similar foods with a 5+ year shelf life.
Most canned foods have a 12-24 month shelf life and need to be replaced often in addition they are heavy and not ideal if you have to move your supplies. Also most canned foods contain a high level of sodium and are thirst provoking, requiring a larger supply of available water. Go with the lightweight 5 year foods.
Starting off with food and water that have a 5 year shelf life is a lot easier than replacing these items every 6-12 months. However good our intentions are to replace these items once or twice a year.

Fortunately in Marin county people are able to take advantage of the GET READY MARIN training, provided by the local Fire Departments and volunteer Disaster Councils that help people understand what to do and how to prepare for earthquakes and other emergencies/disasters.

Supplies should be arranged, stored and located where personnel will be able to access the materials quickly and easily after a disaster strikes. Preferably in your car or in a shed outdoors. Supplies should be stored in backpacks, duffel bags and other containers with a high degree of mobility in case you have to move to another location.

The Earthquake Supply Center in San Rafael offers a large selection of Emergency Survival kits for your car and home, including the 7 day “GET READY MARIN” KIT.

Give a gift of Emergency Preparedness for the holidays.
People you care about and loved ones will appreciate the gift more, knowing it is something they truly need and can use.

While most people think about the importance getting prepared, the majority know it’s a good idea and something that they should do but they don’t.
For some people it is an overwhelming task to assemble all the supplies they need and so they do little or nothing.
The Earthquake Supply Center is a one stop shop for getting prepared with all the supplies you need in one location. The people there are knowledgeable and able to advise you on a wide variety of subjects and preparedness needs. Check out their website at http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Preparedness is an act of love.

The time to prepare for a major disaster is now.

Michael Skyler

Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Plan for Evacuation

- There is no time like the present when it comes to sitting down with your family and preparing for the day when you may be forced to evacuate your home.

In the event of a sudden emergency or disaster, you may have just minutes to gather your family and important papers and get out of your house, possibly for good. With preparation and practice, you stand the best chance of getting out with what you and your family need and ending up in a safe place.

Here are five steps to help you and your family on the road to safety:

1. Arrange Your Evacuation Ahead of Time

• Identify where you can go in the event of an evacuation. Try to have more than one option: the home of a friend or family member in another town, a hotel or a shelter. Keep the phone numbers and addresses of these locations handy.
• Map out your primary route and a backup route in case roads are blocked or impassable. Make sure you have a map of the area available.
• In case your family members are separated before or during the evacuation, identify a specific place to meet and ask an out-of-town friend or family member to act as a contact person.
• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or local radio or TV stations for evacuation instructions. If advised to evacuate, do so immediately.

2. Create a Home Inventory

Create a complete home inventory of your personal property. A home inventory will help you ensure that you have purchased enough insurance to replace your possessions. It will also speed the claims process and substantiate losses for income tax purposes.

To make creating a home inventory easier, the I.I.I. provides free, downloadable software located at KnowYourStuff.org . The Know Your Stuff software allows you to add digital photographs of your valuables and save scanned receipts. It can help you organize and list your possessions on your computer, after which you can burn the finished inventory onto a CD-ROM or use the optional secure online storage service, Vault24, accessible from the software itself. Print out and store a hard copy of your home inventory, making sure to keep a copy with your important documents and a second copy in a safe place outside your home (in a safe-deposit box, with an online storage service or with an out-of-town friend or family member).

3. Plan What to Take

• Earthquake/Emergency Preparedness KitEmergency Preparedness Kit
• Bottled water
  
• Clothing and bedding (sleeping bags, pillows)
  
• Flashlight, battery-powered radio and extra batteries
  
• Special items for infants or elderly or disabled family members
  
• Cash, Glasses, Contact info
  
• Medicines, prescriptions and first aid kit
• Pet food and other items for pets (litter boxes, leashes)

4. Gather Important Documents

Keep important documents in a safe place that you can access easily.

• Home inventory

5. Take the Ten-Minute Challenge

To find out if you are ready, do a real-time test. Give yourself just 10 minutes to get your family and belongings into the car and on the road to safety. By planning ahead and practicing, you should be able to gather your family members and pets, along with the most important items they will need, calmly and efficiently, with a minimum of stress and confusion.
Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Keep a survival kit with you in your car at all times!

What to do before an Earthquake. part 6 of 6

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.

1. Help Your Community Get Ready
   • Publish a special section in your local newspaper with emergency information on earthquakes. Localize the information by printing the phone numbers of local emergency services offices, the American Red Cross, and hospitals.
   • Conduct a week-long series on locating hazards in the home.
   • Work with local emergency services and American Red Cross officials to prepare special reports for people with mobility impairments on what to do during an earthquake.
   • Provide tips on conducting earthquake drills in the home.
   • Interview representatives of the gas, electric, and water companies about shutting off utilities.
   • Work together in your community to apply your knowledge to building codes, retrofitting programs, hazard hunts, and neighborhood and family emergency plans.
   • For more information go to http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm
2. Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com
3. Keep a survival kit with you in your car at all times!

What to do before an Earthquake. part 5 of 6

This is the fifth installment in a series of six

ways to plan ahead.

What to Do Before an Earthquake

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.

Develop an Emergency Communication Plan

• In case family members are separated from one another during an earthquake (a real possibility during the day when adults are at work and children are at school), develop a plan for reuniting after the disaster.
• Ask an out-of-state relative or friend to serve as the “family contact.” After a disaster, it’s often easier to call long distance. Make sure everyone in the family knows the name, address, and phone number of the contact person
• For more information go to http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm

• Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.comKeep a survival kit with you in your car at all times!

What to Do Before an Earthquake Part 4 of 6

This is the fourth installment in a series of six

ways to plan ahead.

What to Do Before an Earthquake

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.

Have Disaster Supplies on Hand

• Flashlight and extra batteries.
• Portable battery-operated radio and extra batteries.
• First aid kit and manual.
• Emergency food and water.
• Nonelectric can opener.
• Essential medicines.
• Cash and credit cards.
• Sturdy shoes.
• Emergency Preparedness Survival kit

For more information go to http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm

Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500 or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Keep a survival kit with you in your car at all times!

What to do before an Earthquake part 2 of 6

This is the second installment in a series of six

ways to plan ahead.

What to Do Before an Earthquake

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.

Identify Safe Places Indoors and Outdoors

• Under sturdy furniture such as a heavy desk or table.
• Against an inside wall.
• Away from where glass could shatter around windows, mirrors, pictures, or where heavy bookcases or other heavy furniture could fall over.
• In the open, away from buildings, trees, telephone and electrical lines, overpasses, or elevated expressways.
• Secure all furniture and other items that could fall or become missles that could injure people

For more information go to http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm

Michael Skyler is an owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center. For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500 or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Keep a survival kit with you in your car at all times!

What to Do Before an Earthquake

This is the first installment in a series of six ways

to plan ahead.

1- What to Do Before an Earthquake

Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently and without warning. Identifying potential hazards ahead of time and advance planning can reduce the dangers of serious injury or loss of life from an earthquake. Repairing deep plaster cracks in ceilings and foundations, anchoring overhead lighting fixtures to the ceiling, and following local seismic building standards, will help reduce the impact of earthquakes.

Ways to Plan Ahead

Check for Hazards in the Home

• Fasten shelves securely to walls.
• Place large or heavy objects on lower shelves.
• Store breakable items such as bottled foods, glass, and china in low, closed cabinets with latches.
• Hang heavy items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds, couches, and anywhere people sit.
• Brace overhead light fixtures.
• Repair defective electrical wiring and leaky gas connections. These are potential fire risks.
• Secure a water heater by strapping it to the wall studs and bolting it to the floor.
• Repair any deep cracks in ceilings or foundations. Get expert advice if there are signs of structural defects.
• Store weed killers, pesticides, and flammable products securely in closed cabinets with latches and on bottom shelves.

For more information go to http://www.fema.gov/hazard/earthquake/eq_before.shtm

Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center, an earthquake and emergency preparedness supply center.  For information and supplies contact him at 415.459-5500  or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

A Big Quake and Your Phones

A Big Quake and Your Phones

After the coming big quake, if your phones work, use the phone and
not your car! A few tips:

- Change your voice mail message to state that you are safe

- Before the quake, make sure that all your family knows a single
relative or friend who lives outside California that you can
contact to say you are fine. This way, fewer calls are needed on
jammed “in-State” phone lines.

- You may have to wait a bit longer for a dial tone after a quake.
Be patient. Don’t just hang up and try again.

- Keep change or a pre-paid phone card in your wallet.

Make your home secure and your family safe.

Michael Skyler is the owner of the Earthquake Supply Center an earthquake preparedness consulting service and emergency preparedness survival kit and supplies center. Contact him at 415.459-5500 or visit http://www.earthquakesupplycenter.com

Thank you to Larry Guillot of Quake Prepare for his contribution to this blog

Earthquake Preparedness: KEEP A KIT IN YOUR CAR